instrument panel CHEVROLET CAMARO 1974 2.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 1974 CAMARO
OWNER'S
MANUAL
This manual should be considered a permanent part of the vehicle,
and must remain with the vehicle
at time of resale.
CHEVROLET MOTOR
DIVISION
GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION DETROIT. MICHIGAN 48202
All information. illustrations and specifications con­tained in this manual are based on the latest product information available at the time of publication. The right is reserved to make changes at any time without notice.
For vehicles
sold in Canada, substitute the name
General Motors of Canada Limited, wherever the name
Chevrolet Motor Division appears in this manual.
ST 309-74
©GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION 1974
Table of Contents
Section
Reprinted with Permission of
General Motors Corporation
1 Before Driving Your Camaro ................................ .
Page
3
2 Starting and Operating. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 13
Steering Column Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 14
Starting Engine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 15
Floor Controls.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 21
Instrument Panel ......................................... , 23
Other Controls and Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 35
3 I n Case of Emergency.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 36
4 Appearance Care ............................................. 41
5 Service and Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 46
6 Minor Trouble Shooting. . .. . . . . . . . . .. .. . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . .. .. .. 66
7 Specifications. Owner Assistance. Service Manuals. Index. Gas
Station Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 70
Applicable to CALIFORNIA Sales Only This vehicle as delivered by GM Chevrolet Division is equipped with a bumper energy
absorption system meeting California S.B.42 (1971) as set forth in Sec. 34715 Vehicle Code.
1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Break-in Schedule
In addition to the new car
break-in instructions in this man­
ual, it
is recommended that your
new Camaro be operated for
500
miles before trailer towing. If it is
necessary to tow during this period,
avoid speeds over
50 MPH and full throttle
starts. The same precau­
tions should be observed whenever
a new engine, transmission
or axle
is installed in your car.
Operation in Foreign Countries
Your Camaro is designed to op­
erate on fuel of approximately
91
research octane number or higher,
sold in the United States and Can­
ada.
If you plan to operate your
Camaro outside the continental
limits of the United States
or Can­
ada, there
is a possibility that the
best fuels available in some coun­
tries are so low in anti-knock
quality that excessive knocking
and serious engine damage may
. result from their use. To obtain
information on the quality of fuels available
in the countries in which
you plan to travel , write to Chevro­
let Motor Division, Service Depart­
ment, Detroit, Michigan
48202,
(or in Canada write to General
Motors of Canada Limited,
Owner
Relations Department , Oshawa,
Ontario),
giving:
• The vehicle identification num­
ber ( on plate on instrument
panel ahead of the steering
wheel and visible through the
windshield , or from registration
slip or title).
• The country or countries in
12
which you plan to travel.
It
is recommended that you not
operate your Camaro in any coun­
try not having fuels meeting the
requirements of
your Camaro
engine. Engine modifications are
not available to compensate for
low anti-knock quality fuels. Op­
eration of your car under condi­
tions of continuous
or excessive
knocking constitutes misuse of the
engine and may cause engine dam­
age for which the Chevrolet Divi­
sion
is not responsible under the
terms
of the Chevrolet New
Vehicle Warranty.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine STARTING AND OPERATING
Engine Exhaust Gas Caution (Carbon Monoxide)
AvoId Inhaling exhaust gases because
they contain carbon monoxide, which by
itself is colorless and odorless. Carbon
monoxide is
a dangerous gas that can
cause unconsciousness and is potentially
lethal.
" at any time you suspect that exhaust fumes are entering the passenger com­
partment, have the cause determined and
corrected as soon as
possible. If you
must drive under these conditions, drive
only with aU windows fully open.
The best protection against carbon
monoxIde entry Into the car body Is a
properly maintained engine exhaust sys­
tem, car body and body ventilation system.
It is recommended that the exhaust sys­
tem and body Is Inspected by a competent
mechanic:
• Each time the vehicle Is raised for 011
change.
• Whenever a change is noticed in the
sound
of the exhaust system.
• Whenever the exhaust system, under­
body or rear of the vehicle Is damaged.
See your Maintenance Schedule folder
for inspection
procedure.
To aI/ow proper operation of the car's
ventilation system, keep front ventilation
inlet
grille clear of snow, leaves or other
obstruction at al/ tImes.
SITTING IN A PARKED CAR WITH
ENGINE RUNNING
FOR AN EXTENDED
PERIOD IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
Do not run engIne In confined areas such as garages any more than needed
to
move vehicle in or out of area. When
vehicle is stopped in
an UNCONFINED
area with the engine running for any more
than
a short period, adjust heating or
cooling system to force outside air into
car as follows:
13
1. On cars not equipped with air condi­
tioning, set fan to medium or high
speed and upper control lever to any
position
except OFF.
2. On cars equipped with air condition-• ing, set fan to medium or high speed
and upper control lever to any position
except OFF or MAX •
The trunk lid should be closed while
driving to help prevent inadvertently
drawing
exhaust gases into the car. It is
unwise
to drive at high speeds for long
durations with the trunk
lid open. How­ever, if for some reason the trunk must
remain open for
a perIod while moving,
or electrical wiring or other cable con­
nections to a trailer must pass through
the seal between
trunk lid and body, the
following precautions should
be observed:
• Close all windows.
• Adjust heating or COOling system to
force outside air into car as described
in items 1 and 2 above but with fan set
at high speed.
• On cars equipped with outside air vents
in or under instrument panel, open
vents fully.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine FLOOR CONTROLS
Braking System
The service brake system is de­
signed for braking performance
under a wide range of driving con­
ditions even when the vehicle
is
loaded to its full rated vehicle load.
Power Brakes
• On cars with power brakes if
power assist to the brakes
is in­
terrupted due to a stalled engine
or some malfunction, two or
more brake applications nor­
mally can be made using reserve
power.
• If the brake pedal is held down,
the system
is designed to bring
the car to a full stop on reserve
power. However, the reserve
power
is partially depleted each
time the brake pedal is applied
and released. Do not pump
brakes when brake power assist
has been interrupted.
• When reserve power is ex­
hausted, the vehicle can still be
stopped by applying greater
force to the pedal.
Parking Brake
• To set parking brake, fully de­
press foot pedal at far left side.
• For maximum holding power,
depress regular brake pedal with
the other foot at the same time.
• To release parking brake, pull
"BRAKE RELEASE" lever on
lower left instrument panel.
• As a reminder, the brake system
warning light
is designed to glow
whenever the parking brake con-
21
trol is not fully released, and the
ignition
is on.
• Never drive car with parking
brake set
as this may overheat or
otherwise damage rear brakes.
NOTE: "Riding the brake" by rest­
ing your foot on the brake pedal
when not intending to brake can
cause abnormally high brake tem­
peratures, excessive lining wear
and possible damage to the brakes.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Clock
Reset the clock, if your car is so
equipped, by pulling
out the knob
and turning
the hands clockwise if
slow, counterclockwise if fast. This
will,
if the clock error is five min­
utes
or more, automatically com­
pensate for time gain
or lag. Sev­
eral resettings, several days apart,
may be needed to properly adjust
the clock mechanism. Have your
clock cleaned
and oiled by a com­
petent clock serviceman at least
every two years.
Cigarette Lighter
The accessory cigarette lighter is
located on the instrument panel
face.
To operate, push it in. When
it becomes heated,
it automatically
pops
out ready for use.
Windshield Wiper
and Washer
The windshield wiping system
operates
at two speeds and is de­
signed to wipe clear designated areas
of the
windshield under most
inclement weather conditions.
The
windshield wipers work electrically
and are not affected by engine op­
eration.
Push the control lever to the
right to
start the electric windshield
wiper .
The two-speed electric wiper
has both a
"low" and a "high" speed
po sition.
Pressing the control will send a
measured amount of water
or other
cleaning agent onto the windshield
and will also cause the wiper lever
to move, thus starting the wiper .
motor. The wiper will then con­
tinue to operate until manually
turned off at the wiper lever.-
Fill the washer
jar only % full
during the winter to allow for ex­
pansion if the temperature should
fall low enough to freeze the so­
lution.
• Check washer fluid level regu­
larly-do it frequently when the
weather is bad.
28
• Use fluid such as GM
OPTIKLEEN to preventfreez­
ingdamage, and to provide bet­
ter cleaning.
• Do not use radiator anti-freeze in
windshield washer; it could
cause paint damage.
• In cold weather, warm the wind­
shield with defrosters before us­
ing
washer-to help prevent ic­
ing that may seriously obscure
vision.
Ventilation System
Your Camaro incorporates a
ventilation system
that provides
ventilation comfort, made possible
by the addition of air vent provi­
sions in the rear body lock pillar.
Another feature of the system
is
continuous low-speed operation of
the air conditioner blower, result­
ing in an uninterrupted supply
of
outside air flow into the car when-

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine • Keep all windows and vents
closed to reduce dust, road and
wind noise and uncomfortable
drafts .
• For most satisfactory heater op­
eration and air circulation, oper­
ate fan on low or medium speeds
for normal operation and high
speed for quick warm-up and
during extremely low tempera­
tures.
• For adequate rear seat heating,
the area beneath the front seat
must not be blocked by carpet­
ing, rags, paper
or other mate­
rial and fan should operate on
.high blower.
• For additional summer ventila­
tion move the
AIR lever to mid­
position and the
DEFROSTER
lever to DEE If greater air­
flow is desired, move the FAN
lever down to operate the three­
speed blower.
Rear Window Defroster
To insure clear vision through
the rear window during
incH:ment
weather, the Rear Window De­
froster has become established
as a
popular accessory . This unit draws in
air from the passenger compart­
ment and direct s it against the back
window to remove frost or mois­
ture. Its blower has a two-speed
control switch on the instrument
panel.
Four Season Air Conditioning System
Operating instructions for your
Four Season Air Conditioner are
as follows:
Fan
The fan. lever has four (4) posi-
31
tions from Lo at the bottom to Hi
at the top. When the air condition­
ing system
is off, low blower will
be maintained (after engine cool­
ant temperature has reached
95 of.)

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine some air through defroster outlets.
Temperature may be adjusted
as
required. This position is recom­
mended for most winter driving.
BI-LEVEL-Outside air is delivered
from the heater lower outlet and
the defroster duct and upper out­
lets to provide comfort and keep
the windshield and side glass clear
under low fogging conditions.
DEF -Outside air is delivered
mainly through the defroster out­
lets. Temperature and blower
speeds may be adjusted as required.
This position
is recommended for
conditions of severe fogging and
icing only.
Operating tip: When driving in
,snow , if defrost or defog is not re­
quired to keep the windshield from
fogging, it
is recommended that the
"Heater" position be used. This keeps
the windshield cold so that
snow will not stick and melt and
will provide a cleaner view.
Four Season System
Air Outlets
The twin barrel type center out­
lets may be rotated or vanes turned
to direct air flow ( or regulate
volume of air) in direction desired.
The outlets at each end of the
instrument panel may be rotated
33
or vanes adjusted as desired.
For additional air flow lap cool­
ers
(2) are provided under the
steering column and glove box.
They have vertical air control vane
outlets and are aimed at the driver
and passenger.
To direct cool air to the floor
(driver's side only), open the outlet
(by pulling tab toward you) be­
neath the lap cooler shown on the
illustration.
FLOOR OUTLET

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine valve moves freely and is not stuck . (Don 't mistake normal spring
tension for a stuck valve.) Top the side of the carburetor sharply several times with a light tool such as a screwdriver handle or pliers. Replace the air cleaner and attempt to start the engine in the normal manner. IE) If the cor will start but stalls when hot or has a rough idle,
you can suspect a faulty IDLE ADJUSTMENT, a malfunctioning AUTOMATIC CHOKE or on extremely dirty and blocked AIR CLEANER ELEMENT. Replace paper element air cleaner if neces­sary. Idle' adjustment or automatic choke service (other than that outlined in paragraph 0 above) should be performed by your Chevrolet Dealer. If the above Fuel System checks and the checks suggested under the Electrical System following do not correct the malfunction, it is recommended that you return to your Authorized Chevrolet Dealer for further checks, adjustments or repairs.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM • If, when the ignition key is turned to "Start", the engine will not
turn over, you have good reason to suspect electrical trouble. NOTE: Never remove Delcotron bat lead without first disconnecting
baHery ground cable.
, (F) When there is no response at all to attempts to start the car, check the obvious-your AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SELECTOR LEVER must be in Neutral or Park position (manucil transmission
must have clutch depressed all the way to floor) before the engine can be started. Turning the IGNITION SWITCH rapidly back and forth several times will sometimes correct a poor internal switch contact. (G) The BATTERY may be discharged. If so, lights will be dim and the horn will have a poor tone if it will blow at all. Usually a garage recharge will be necessary to return the bottery to operation. Occasionally, however, a long drive will recharge the battery.
68
NOTE: If the battery is determined to be dead, and for no apparent reason, have your Authorized Chevrolet Dealer check the
baHery, the GENERATOR and the VOLTAGE REGULATOR.
GENERATOR trouble should already have been indicated by the generator indicator light on the instrument panel.
POOR BATTERY CONNECTIONS may be suspected if the car has operated properly a short time before and now not even the horn will operate. Check both ends of both battery cables. If the con­nections are corroded, a cor may sometimes be restored to opera­tion by removing all cable ends, scraping all contacting surfaces clean with a pen knife, and reassembling. If the cables are broken, they must be replaced. The power supply should now be restored unless the battery is dead.
(H) If, however, the lights and horn work properly but the starter will still not turn over, check the STARTER connections. A "dick" from the starter solenoid indicates that the wiring to the starter is properly installed. If the wiring seems to be clean and tightly in­stalled, the trouble is probably in the starter itself and should be referred to your Authorized Chevrolet Dealer.
When the engine will "turn over" but will not start, the following
items may be checked along with the Fuel Systems Checks listed
previously.
(I) With a clean dry cloth, wipe the ceramic portions of the spark plugs dry. In particularly damp or rainy weather dampness may be the cause of not starting, espe­cially when the engine is cold.
(J) Check the cables at the top of the distributor and coil as well Distributor and Coil Cables

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine as each spark plug cable for
tightness.
(K) If the co r will still not sta rt, check for spark at the spark plugs in the following manner:
Pull one of the spark plug
wires off its spark plug. Insert a
short piece of bare wire (such as a bobby pin) between the rubber
cup
at the end of the spark plug
wire
and the tubular metal con­nector inside of it. If the spark
plug wire is wet or oily, wipe it Checking Spark
dry. Wrap a dry handkerchief or facial tissue, folded several
thicknesses, around the wire at least three inches back from the
end and grasp the wire at this point. Hold the bare wire about 1f ..
inch from the bare tip of the spark plug from which you removed the
wire. When the engine is "turned over" a spark should jump across
the
~ inch space, indicating ample current supply. If no spark
jumps, the difficulty
is probably caused by a defective ignition part
and should be corrected by your Authorized Chevrolet Dealer.
COOLING SYSTEM
When the car will run but evidences serious overheating on the
temperature gauge in the instrument panel, there are several items
which may be checked.
(L) Engine overheating will occur whim the OIL LEVEL falls danger­ously low. Check the oil level as a matter of course.
69
(M) Low COOLANT LEVEL will, of co~rse, cause engine over­
heating. Determine the cause of the low coolant level and have
it corrected if necessary.
(N) Check the RADIATOR CORE. Clean it if it is plugged with
bugs, leaves or other foreign material.
(0) Condition of the FAN BELT is very impartant, not only for en­gine cooling but also for proper generator operation. Check the
condition of the belt. Replace it if it is worn or frayed. Loosen the generator toward the engine to remove and replace the belt. Tighten the belt, whether new or old, by loosening the generator bolts, prying with a bar on the generator until the belt is ten­sioned properly, then retighten
the generator bolts.
(P) Another cause of engine
overheating may be an inopera­
tive COOLING SYSTEM THERMO­STAT. If the thermostat should fail in the closed position, it will not
permit coolant to circulate through
the system. In such on emergency
the thermostat may be removed but should be replaced with a
properly functioning thermostat
as soon as possible.
Fan 8e/f Tension
ThermoS/of Insfallafion

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine SPECIFICATIONS
VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
Car-Stamped on Vehicle Identification Plate attached to left
of instrument panel.
Engine-Stamped on boss on block.
6-Cylinder-On right side of block to rear of distributor.
8-Cylinder-On right side of block at front.
Body-Stamped on plate attached to
cowl panel.
DIMENSIONS
Overall Length (Coupe) ....................... 195.4"
Height ...................................... 49.1"
Width .......................•..••........ 74.4"
Wheelbase ..........•..................... 108.0"
70
BAnERY RATING
L6 engine equipped vehicles-l 2 volt, 54 plate, 2300 watts· 350 V-8 engine equipped vehicles-12 volt, 66 plate, 2900 watts·
Heavy Duty-12 volt, 78 plate, 4000 watts·
·Crankingpower at O·F.
CAPACITIES
Gasoline Tank
(Approx.)
Crankcase
(Refill)
6 and 8 Cylinder
U.S. Mealure
21.0 gal.
Oil change only . . . . . . . . . . .. 4 qt.
Oil and Filter change . . . . . . .. 5 qt.
Imperial Measure
17.5 gal.
31f .. qt.
4 V. qt.